The United Nations Security Council at the turn of the century : is its reform still necessary or is it being superseded by events?

Abstract

In its early years, the United Nations (UN) inevitably became a forum for conflict between the great powers and for the propaganda of the Cold War. The great powers sometimes blocked the admission of new members who might support their rivals. Of the thirty-one applications submitted between 1945 and 1950 only nine were accepted. The most spectacular obstruction throughout the history of the UN, has been that organised by the United States to prevent the admission of Communist China to the Organisation. This obstruction l9sted until 1971 so that China's Security Council seat was until then occupied by Taiwan, while Communist China was not accepted into the UN until the Communists had been in power for more than twenty years. Other countries such as India under Nehru, Egypt under Nasser and Yugoslavia under Tito all tried to stand aside from the East-West power blocs and there was also the 1955 Bandung attempt to form a non-aligned movement. In the 1960's and 1970's with the wave of new admissions of Afro-Asian countries a non aligned view began to make itself heard. This was a result of international decolonialisation. The United States and other major powers were often disconcerted by this new development. The Afro-Asian countries were especially hostile to South Africa and to Israel. In 1974, the UN General Assembly voted temporarily to suspend South Africa's membership in condemnation of the Apartheid policy. Meanwhile in 1975 another UN Resolution was passed in which Zionism was equated to racism, a Resolution which greatly embarrassed the United States. The great powers thus began to find that they could no longer easily get their own way in an Organisation where Americans and Europeans were now out numbered.